Wichita eagle., 1887-10-16

| Inc evening
We found the hotel where we expected {.
stop over from Friday until Monday
filled tn OVERT wing, and so had to be con
tent with quarters in another one not ST
pre'eniiou-. where we dragged our unwill-
ing feet up five fights of stairs TO attic
which was only kdurable because /
appeared to be the only port left US In 1
storm. What was true of Lncerne ".
found of every CRY In Switzerland; tina
the hotels were literally packed with tour
lists Ali the Steamboats, and trains wer.
crowded, and unless diligence was en-
gagged several days In advance the prot
abilities were that you would not find va
cant seat.
Lucerne is city Of 90 600 people. stu
s'ed on the lake Of that name. There Is
legend told here with great uoction, thu
POntius PLATE, after asserting to the death
OF our Savior, fl d from Je useIem IN grea
remnrse of conscience 10 q mountain which
takes his name on the opposite side of ths
lake frOm this city and that his spirit still
dwells there and haunts the waters At times
an old man with hoary locks aud the weigh
of years on his STOPPING shoulders, Is seer
to issue from cleft In the mountain anC
approach The shore: he bends down anC
Sucerne Is the most beautiful of all Of tht
Swiss likes. II is also known as the Lake
of the Four Cantons II is 1888 feet above
sea level. is So miles long and one to. f,ul
miles wide Many s'eamers handsomel,
fitted up for pleasure boats, ply In is wa
Wa r.
Our itinerscy for the first cay. included
the ascent of The Rigi, and tour of the
| oh I'm TIT f,
group of mountains nea ly surrounded by
three lakes, the highest peak being the
Kuhn, which we assembled nv means of q
rail way, similar to that Ia Mt. Washington
q locomotive pu-hes a single car almost to
the summit Of the Kuhn. distance OF
four and a half miles. In the center
of the track are eggs into which wheels
are attached to the locomotive and cars fit.
The incline is at an angle or scale of one
| fo,t In four. The road spans some fright
full chasms and the ascent Is far from
resssuring to ones nerves. A number of
| fine hotels have been erected at The various
stations on the route, but can't see why
anyone, unless enamored of the ever recur.
ring and disappearing fog. would care to
prolong stay for greater period than
would secure to them one clear day In
which to view the rising and setting sun
across the snowy peaks. where ALPS on
Alps" rear their hosry heads till their sum.
mits seem to pierce the skies.
Wherever there was soil sufficient for
grass to take root, the sleek mouse colored
cattle, peculiar to this region alone, nipped
the short heritage. Their uniformity
of color and sty lie denoted purene.s Of
bo,d In everything except size, they are
the exact counterpart Of the little Jerseys
| was informed that several expectations
for breeding purposes had been made to
America. II they flourish In the rich pas
lures of the New World as they do here
on the close Groupings OF their native hill
sides they cannot fail but be valuable |
acquisition to the herds of thorough hreds, |
which have worked such revolution In |
the cattle interests of all the states In the |
Past twenty five years Elsewhere through
out Swi zerland the absence of live s,t OK |
Is remarkable. Nine tenths of all the
farming operalions-if you can dignity the
cultivation of ten acre patch of mountain
side, or less number OF acres of gravelly
bottom land with the distinction that
attaches to fsrm-sre performed without
The aid of any four footed beast.
The Swiss peasant, Is to my mind, the
hardest worked ana the poorest paid labor.
er ia Europe Their crops of hay secured
for the susenanoe of goats whereby the
supply Of S"e tzerkase Is perpetuated, Is
packed In bundles, and carried on the head
uohill and down, and often lnng Dis ance
10 the goa sred. By reason of the seasons
,nnriuoss aud The steriliIy of the soil, but
meagre crop and always foul With weeds
Is secured. Hay In Kansas marketed IN
der the same circumstances would De worth
immagine, about 500 ton l. Is truly
pitabe TO see these honest, hard worked.
Iuderpaid and underfed people In The
Struggle for existence economize In the
Il Iutest respect to everything Their in
1ustry and frugality was a constant subject
If remark, for It was ever present before US
Children at the age Of wears
are isug hit to knit, and the little weszened
fdCrs on the door step that looked at us
with eyes a-kalce, the tlaxen hair twisted
10 little knot like their mothers the bare
feet and coarse though tidy gown, the poor
it,le thin hands that so deftly piled the
needles, ali told Of poverty, but honest
poverty, the poverty that would toll on.
suffer on, anything but beg.
About one woman Ia ten Is dlfigured by
Inc gnire One person told me 1t was the
result through many generations Of lack
If nutritious food and The custom of car
'ying heavy burdens on the head and
shoulders. Another person conveyed the
doubtful Intelligence that IL was considered
mark OF great distinction by the Swiss TO
1e the rossessor of q we'll developed goitre.
L defo nifty that Is an undisgUi-ed bl, ssIng
5 such raIa avis that the Swiss may. II ,
hey choose, make virtue out Of Il,
Having now reached tie terminus of our
.erisi flight, resume the narrative specit
ally Ia hand Tue summit Of The Kuhn
lad all the appearance II fete day. ,
Booths were erected wherever the nature OF :
he surface admitted. 4 mau with All al ,
Zine horn SIX feet long blew a blast that
Uskened the echoes for miles around r
f the localiiy, from an app 8
t.cA made Of native timber with p ,lIsned :
hamois norm for crock, down ~ the e1- :
ui.ite star shaped 'eideiweiss" that is !
ound only In these mountains beneath the Q
now, the qnintessei &c OF purify. an en- I
em tit 81 be worn by ves,si virgin or a I
leepiDg bate. these. and ali the fancy q
rlcIes of home msuufacture common u, T
Siizerland, were pr,fusely displayed, and ?
ID b ,ppy u say found lois If buyers The r
lew from this elevate IN is grand aud r
Ispiriog We only got a momen ary h
iinpse Of one of is best effects. snd this y
las about O'Clock, when the Clouds which q
'ere beneath Us parted, and revealed a h
ision of loveliDes- such as no artist would II
tempt 10 portray. 81
MOI far from the summit Is an elegant 70
o., i Ia which We descended and did am :,
le justice TO lunch, where fee, chnc. m
ale and other cecoctions were partaken n
la Keep out the fog. Then We b srded ~